Voices: Take me out to the VR may be MLB's new theme
SAN FRANCISCO — A disembodied voice welcomes two visitors to the San Francisco Giants' executive offices.
It isn't a human, but a Segway-like bot acting as surrogate greeter for Giants' Chief Information Officer Bill Schlough, who is remotely controlling it from his office PC. Called "Willie," the angular contraption is mounted with an iPad, from which Schlough can be seen and heard. Willie debuted during a special event with comic book legend Stan Lee this month and could soon roam the halls of club suites at the Giants' home, AT&T Park.
"You have seen into the future, and the future is now," said Schlough, who has something else he wants to share.
It's a virtual-reality system that, eventually, may radically change the way fans view a ballgame.
Welcome to the ever-evolving intersection of new tech and the grand old game of baseball, which faces increasing competition from not only the NFL but the NBA and NHL, which are also experimenting with VR.
Developed with JauntVR, the Giants' first foray — a four-minute tour of spring training in Scottsdale, Ariz. — is an impressive blend of batting practice with All-Star catcher Buster Posey, infield fielding with pitcher Johnny Cueto and jogging with World Series hero Madison Bumgarner.
The segment, the first of several this year at the ballpark's @Cafe, is just the start of what the Giants and Major League Baseball hope is an immersive experience that revolutionizes how a game is viewed, advertisers reach fans and ballplayers learn their craft. Within several years, fans may be able to watch a game from the dugout of their favorite team, and prospects could learn to better pick up the spin of a slider from VR sessions.
Across the country in Boston, the Red Sox share a similar vision on VR. The team considers it vital to engage kids, the next generation of fans, in "more meaningful ways," says Adam Grossman, the Red Sox's chief marketing officer. The virtual Oculus clubhouse at Fenway Park is just a start.
Like the Giants, the Sox produced a VR film at spring training, and the team plans to film another this week in Boston. A mobile truck with VR gear is traversing the region to bring the VR experience to its fan base.
"We're in the very early days of VR," MLB Chief Technology Officer Joe Inzerillo says. But the technology's potential for fans and players could impact the sport as social media, mobile and streaming video have.
Baseball teams are developing attractions that are the equivalent of snagging a foul ball in the hopes of retaining and gaining the American sports fan, says Brian Reich, CEO of Thinking About Sports, a consulting firm that enriches fan engagement at sporting events.
The leisurely pace of a baseball game on a lazy summer afternoon may be idealized by traditionalists of the sport. But in an era of instant gratification and social media, younger fans need to be entertained from the first pitch until the final out.
Newer ballparks have taken on elements of an amusement park to draw paying customers and keep them interested: A carousel at Comerica Park in Detroit. The swimming pool and hot tub beyond the right-field wall at Chase Field in Phoenix. A sandlot in the bleachers at San Diego's Petco Park. An enormous Coke bottle/slide and mini-ballpark at AT&T Park. A video game area at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. The stingray touch tank at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Fla.
VR could be the latest and most enticing toy, says Brad Griffith, CEO of online-ticketing service Gametime. "It's like souped-up TV, the next level of watching a game from home," he says. "Baseball is focused on getting the Millennial demo back into its sport, and pushing the envelope on new technology is the right approach."
The Tampa Bay Rays are using a VR-simulation system from EON Sports in batting practice to track the speed, movement, spin rate and flight of the ball from a major league pitcher. Rays spokesman Dave Haller declined to provide more detail, citing competitive reasons.
That's understandable. Like a Silicon Valley company trying to gain an advantage in an emerging market, the Rays — like the Giants and Red Sox — are trying to get a leg up on the competition in VR.
Baseball fans may never look at their sport the same way.
Swartz is a tech reporter at Paste BN and fervent San Francisco Giants fan and sucker for British rock and the Boss. Follow Paste BN San Francisco Bureau Chief Jon Swartz @jswartz on Twitter.